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Tuesday, March 22, 2016

Exclusive Interview

'China-Bangladesh relations have
become the model of friendship between countries with different social systems
and different cultures'

China's new ambassador
to Bangladesh,
Li Jun, arrived in Dhaka on February 18 and
presented his credentials to the President on March 6. In an exclusive
interview with The Daily Star's Diplomatic Correspondent Rezaul Karim recently,
he talked on a wide range of bilateral issues. He said he would try his best
and cooperate with the government and people of Bangladesh to improve further the
ties between the two countries. He also said China and Bangladesh are
good neighbours. Since 1975, the bilateral relationship has always been
developing in a smooth manner and bilateral cooperation in various areas has
been deepened. Following are excerpts from the interview.

The Daily Star (TDS): As the new Chinese Ambassador in Bangladesh,
what are the priorities you plan to emphasise during your assignment in this
country?

Li Jun (L J): In March and June 2010, H.E. Sheikh Hasina, Prime
Minister of Bangladesh, and H.E. Xi Jinping, Vice President of China, had a
successful exchange of visits. The two sides issued a Joint Statement and
decided to establish and develop a "Closer Comprehensive Partnership of
Cooperation" between China
and Bangladesh
from the strategic perspective and on the basis of the principles of
longstanding friendship, equality and mutual benefit. I believe this set the
direction of and provided the guidelines for the development of our bilateral
relationship.

During my tenure,

* I will do my utmost to consolidate and develop the bilateral relationship
with the aim of promoting the development of our two countries and the welfare
of our two peoples;

* I will continue to push for more exchanges of high-level visits and
contacts and friendly exchanges between government agencies, parliaments,
political parties, and non-governmental organisations of our two countries;

* I will continue to push for intensified cooperation in trade, investment,
agriculture, transportation and infrastructure development on the basis of
equality and mutual benefit;

* I will continue to push for a further widening of people-to-people and
cultural exchanges and cooperation with a view to promoting mutual
understanding and friendship between the two peoples;

* I will continue to push for strengthened exchanges and cooperation between
the militaries and law enforcement departments to safeguard respective national
security and stability and promote peace and stability in the region;

* I will continue to push for closer coordination and cooperation to uphold
the common interests of the two countries as well as that of the developing
countries in international and regional affairs, such as climate change, energy
and food security.

I am confident that with the joint efforts of our two countries, the closer
comprehensive partnership of cooperation between China and Bangladesh will
be brought to a new high and bring tangible benefits for our two peoples.

TDS: Bangladesh
and China
enjoy excellent bilateral relations. How do you foresee these relations
developing further in the days ahead?

L J: The traditional friendship between our two peoples date back to
over two thousand years ago. Since the establishment of diplomatic relations in
1975, China-Bangladesh ties have been developing in a smooth manner and the
pragmatic cooperation in various fields has been further strengthened. It was
the efforts that successive governments and the peoples of our two countries
have made that contributed to the enhancement of China-Bangladesh friendship.
To them I pay my tributes.

Currently, the development of relations between China and Bangladesh
enjoys the right time, right place, and right people. China is
implementing the 12th Five Year Plan with scientific development as guidance
and transforming economic growth pattern as the main objective. At the same
time, Bangladesh
is pushing forward the "Digital Bangladesh" and "Vision
2012." Our development strategies have provided us great scope for
cooperation. China
and Bangladesh
are close neighbours, the region where we are situated has been experiencing
rapid growth, which created more opportunities for regional and international
cooperation. Apart from that, our bilateral relationship has neither problems
left from history, nor conflicts of interest at present. Compassion,
understanding, support, and mutual-assistance have always been the main theme
of our relationship.

I am convinced that the traditional friendship between China Bangladesh and
mutually beneficial cooperation will better contribute to the development of
the two countries and benefit the two peoples.

TDS: What are the major follow-up events after Prime Minister Sheikh
Hasina's visit to China
in March 2010?

L J: In March and June 2010, H.E. Sheikh Hasina, Prime Minister of Bangladesh and
H.E. Xi Jinping, Vice President of China had an exchange of visits to each
other's countries. The two sides decided to establish a "Closer
Comprehensive Partnership of Cooperation" from the strategic perspective
and on the basis of the principles of longstanding friendship, equality, and
mutual benefit. A Joint Statement was also issued which reflected the consensus
reached by leaders of both countries to further consolidate and develop
China-Bangladesh relationship.

Since then, there have been positive developments in bilateral relationship.
There have been constant exchanges of high-level visits between the two
countries. The Speaker of Bangladesh Parliament Abdul Hamid and Foreign
Minister Dipu Moni, as well as many ministers, have visited China. Liu Qi,
Member of Political Bureau of the Central Committee of Communist Party of China
(CPC) and Secretary of CPC Beijing Municipal Committee, Qin Guangrong, Governor
of Yunnan Province of China as well as other high level officials visited Bangladesh.

There has been much progress in bilateral economic and trade cooperation.
Bilateral trade volume in 2011 reached $8.26 billion, with an increase of 17%
compared with 2010. Bangladeshi export to China reached $449 million, an
increase of 67.5%. According to local news reports, Chinese investment in Bangladesh in
2011 amounted to over $200 million. The agreements on introduction of 3G
technology and expansion of 2.5G network, and on Shajhalal fertilizer factory
project were signed. The construction work will start very soon. China also
exempted debts of Bangladesh
worth more than 600 million RMB.

There also have been positive developments in bilateral cultural exchanges.
In November 2011, Beijing Night Art Performance and Charming Beijing Photo
Exhibition were successfully held in Dhaka.
Fantastic performances of the Chinese artists and beautiful pictures of Beijing deepened
Bangladeshi people's understanding towards China. "Happy Chinese New
Year" cultural events have become a famous Chinese cultural brand in Bangladesh.
Every year, Dhaka citizens flock to the
theater to enjoy the exciting moments of traditional Chinese New Year.

In addition, there has been big progress also in other areas such as
agriculture, education, military, etc. I will continue to push forward the
all-dimensional cooperation in various fields between our two countries.

TDS: During the PM's visit to Beijing,
Bangladesh and China agreed to
strengthen cooperation in the military and law enforcement areas at various
levels. Is there any progress in those fiends?

L J: Military cooperation is an important part of the all-dimensional
cooperation between China
and Bangladesh.
In the Joint Statement issued during Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's visit to China in March
2010, the two sides agreed to strengthen exchanges and cooperation between the
militaries and law enforcement departments to safeguard respective national
security and stability and promote peace and stability in the region. Military
cooperation between China
and Bangladesh
strictly adheres to relevant international law and norms on international
relations, and is not against any third party. In 2011, there was successful
cooperation between the two countries in this regard. Air Chief Marshal Ma
Xiaotian, Deputy Chief of the General Staff of People's Liberation Army and
Vice Admiral Ding Yiping, Deputy Commander of Navy of People's Liberation Army
visited Bangladesh
with big success. General Mubin, Chief of Army Staff of Bangladesh paid
a visit to China,
which was fruitful. I believe this tendency of friendly cooperation will be
maintained and further developed.

TDS: How do you evaluate China-Bangladesh relations under the present
Awami League-led grand alliance government in comparison to ties under previous
governments?

L J: The friendship between China and Bangladesh is a
genuine and time-tested one. No matter which party is in power, this bilateral
relationship maintains the tendency of moving forward. Since the establishment
of diplomatic relations in 1975, successive governments of Bangladesh have
been making important contributions to the development of the bilateral
relationship. China-Bangladesh relations have become the model of friendship
between countries with different social systems and different cultures.

During the tenure of current government under the leadership of H.E. Sheikh
Hasina, China-Bangladesh relations have witnessed considerable development, and
the all-dimensional cooperation between the two countries has been continuously
strengthened. Presently, China-Bangladesh relations are standing at a new
starting point, facing unprecedented historic opportunities. The Chinese side
stands ready to closely work with the Bangladesh side to further enrich
the closer Comprehensive Partnership of Cooperation, strengthen the existing
bilateral cooperation in different fields, and enhance the friendship between
the two peoples.

TDS: Strategically, how does China see Bangladesh in
the geo-political equation in the region?

L J:China
adheres to the foreign policy of "building friendship and partnership with
the neighboring countries," and would like to establish and maintain
good-neighbourly relations with all its neighbouring countries. China attaches
importance to the important role of Bangladesh in maintaining peace,
stability and development of South Asia. China is
willing to join hands with Bangladesh
and further promote the closer Comprehensive Cooperative Partnership between
the two countries.

TDS: The cabinet recently approved the draft of Sonadia Deep Seaport
Authority Act. Is there any development from the Chinese side about
construction of the deep seaport at Sonadia in Chittagong?

L J: The deep seaport in SonadiaIsland is of strategic
importance to Bangladesh
and will be helpful in enabling Bangladesh
to become the regional transportation and logistics centre. Chinese enterprises
have advanced technologies, equipments and ample funds. Over the years, China
Harbour Engineering Company Ltd has accumulated rich experience in this regard.
Presently, this company has established an office in Dhaka
and stands ready to participate in this project in a commercial manner. Chinese
enterprises are also ready to cooperate with enterprises from other countries
to jointly take part in this project. So long as the Bangladeshi side shows
enough will and determination, this project can make positive progress very
soon.

TDS: How can China
cooperate with Bangladesh
in tackling the impact of climate change in Bangladesh?

L J: As a country most vulnerable to climate change, Bangladesh has
been experiencing sufferings caused by climate change. China fully
understands and respects the concerns of Bangladesh over it. During
international negotiations on climate change, China has always been supporting
the legitimate and reasonable requests of Bangladesh and the Least Developed
Countries as a whole. As developing countries, China and Bangladesh
should stick to the principle of "common but differentiated
responsibilities" and work together to safeguard the common interests of
developing countries.

China
and Bangladesh
are both victims of climate change. On this issue, the two countries face the
same challenges and our basic interests are the same. Over the years, China has
already carried out cooperation with Bangladesh in the area of
adaptation. For example, China
helped Bangladesh
in projects of river dredging. The Chinese Government provided relevant
training for Bangladeshi officials and technicians. China will continue to strengthen
the cooperation with Bangladesh
in this regard on the basis of "equal consultation, mutual benefit and
common development". China
will continue to support the capacity building to help Bangladesh
better resist the adverse effects of climate change. Relevant government
institutions of the two countries can have detailed discussions.

TDS: Is there any progress in the construction of the 8th FriendshipBridge (2nd MeghnaBridge)
and Bangladesh-China Friendship Exhibition Centre?

L J: Consultations are going on between our two countries concerning
the 8th FriendshipBridge. I believe there
will be a positive result soon. As for the China-Bangladesh Friendship
Exhibition Centre, we noticed some news reports saying that the Bangladeshi
government has decided to build this Centre at Purbachal. We would be very
happy to get the confirmation from and work with the Bangladeshi side so that
concrete progress can be made concerning this project.

TDS: Would you be willing to provide assistance to Bangladesh in
launching a communication and remote sensing satellite into orbit in the near
future?

L J:China
is willing to provide assistance to Bangladesh in launching a
satellite. This has been reflected in the Joint Statement issued by the two
countries during the visit of Her Honourable Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to China in March
2010. The two sides can have further consultations in this regard.

TDS: Will you provide assistance for the dredging of riverbeds and for
capacity building through training of personnel?

L J:Bangladesh
is a country with a large number of rivers. River dredging is essential to the
livelihood of Bangladesh
people and the development of this country. Against the backdrop of global
climate change, river dredging becomes even more important. China
understands the need of Bangladesh
and always tries to extend its help. Each year, the Chinese government provides
relevant training courses for Bangladeshi government official and technicians.
Besides, the Chinese government strongly supports qualified Chinese enterprises
to take part in dredging projects. In September 2011, China Harbour Engineering
Company Ltd was selected to implement a project for JamunaRiver
dredging (14 kilometers). China
will continue to provide its support at the request of Bangladeshi government.